O’Malley’s Committee Approves Redistricting

Governor Martin O'Malley's advisory committee on legislative redistricting voted 4-1 this week to approve its proposed new map for Maryland's eight congressional districts, a measure that some lawamkers say is designed to defeat one of the state’s two republican congressmen. There is no question that the proposal likely makes the state's western district more competitive for Democrats- with the biggest changes made by the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee in the 6th congressional district, a seat now held by Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, who is serving his 10th term. WBAL reports that now, the district contains only about 20,000 Montgomery County residents. Under the recommended change, Democratic-leaning Montgomery County will have about 350,000 people in the district, or about half of the district's population. Carroll County Republican Delegate Justin Ready, who is also the executive director of the Maryland Republican Party called the proposed map "an insult to Western Maryland counties."